Women Take a Note – Say no to High Heels!

Physical Hazards Of Wearing High Heels

In this modern era, I don’t think any lady would hesitate to wear a pair of stilettos and walk like a queen. Completely acceptable. And this, in fact, is seen more commonly in the ones who love to look and appear tall. Though the occasional use of a pair of high heels might not do any harm, long-term use of the same would certainly harm you.

Let us know abut the harmful effects of the same:

High Heels adversely changes the human body posture.

A person is defined by his attitude, and science says that attitude is defined by a posture.

Posture is any position which the human body assumes during various activities. In anatomical position, the human body posture is said to be of an erect type- the back being straight, abdomen tucked in, and hands and legs in level.

However, this is not the case now, as the sedentary lifestyle is on for everyone. In a thought of being relaxed, we always assume a posture which is of a slouched type.

High heels are one of a kind. The base of support given to the body in a pair of the heel is very less, and when talking about pencil heels, it is as good as ZERO.

(In Physical Terms, Base of support is the area by which human body is supported. When standing normally, the area covered by both the feet forms the Base Of Support)

Wearing a high heel makes a person assume an almost toe standing posture, which certainly affects the whole posterior aspect of the body, which includes- lower leg, the back side of the thigh, hips/buttocks, and the pelvis.

For an instance, long-term use of high heels can affect a person in the following ways:

Joint Pain

Leg/ Feet Pain

Pathologies:

Shortening of TA Tendon

Undue Pelvic Tilting

Lower Back Pain (the worst complication of wearing a high heel).

Our feet have something called as “Arches of the foot”.

These are anatomical structures which are specially designed for shock absorption, i.e. to prevent damage to the foot while walking.

When on heels, these arches lose their function, as a result of which there is no “Cushioning” i.e. no shock absorption. In severe cases, this might result in Flat Foot Deformity.

Another complication which is worth considering is hip and knee pain.

As already mentioned, high heels make one assume a “Toe Standing” posture, which affects the neighboring joints, i.e. the knees and the hip. The continual uneven force distribution imparted by the unusual posture causes compensatory changes in the position of Hip Joint (Posterior Pelvic Tilting), which leads to back pain.

One should learn the fact that high heels are designed for special occasions, keeping in mind the adverse effect of the same.

Occasional use of a pair of heels would do no harm, as the body in expert at managing things.

But if a constant force is present, the body tries to modify the structure itself, giving rise to complications.

Shivam Chopra belives a lot in healthcare!
Not just because he is about to be a Doctor, but also because he belives in the power of changing lifestyle!
By qualification he is an aspiring physiotherapist which helps in giving him practical knowledge.
He is also a certified Aerobic Instructor from IAFT and a Physical therapist from Manual Therapy Foundation Of India.
He is also certified for Basic Life Support (BLS) & CPR from Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai.